Chance Meetings
by Sailor Miaka
Summary: Sometimes a chance meeting is all you need... AU


Chance Meetings  
  
By Sailor Miaka  
  
Author's note: This is my first Young HErcules Fic. Sorry for the grammer/spelling errors but their definately not my best! Reviews are appreciated! Happy Readings!  
  
Disclaimer; I don't own it just borrowed it!  
  
  
Chance Meetings  
  
"whens the next time we go to see your mom, Herc? I want to make sure that I have an empty stomach."  
  
Hercules chuckled as Iolaus continued his ramblings. The two friends were returning home from seing Alcmene for a few days. The day was bright and warm, a perfect quiet day. It put Hercules on edge. Iolaus cintinued to chatter on, not realizing Herc's quietness. A Shrill war cry came throught the air. Iolaus nodded to his friend and the pair took off running. They could hear the sounds of combat. By the time the reached the fighting, it was nearly over and all they could do was stare. Three grown men lay sprawled on the ground, unconcious and hurt but still alive. A fourth was engaged in combat with a girl whose raven black hair was pliated into two braids that reached down her back. A flying kick sent the male warrior to the ground, knocked out and the girl kneeled to the ground, picking up a small leather bag that clincked as she lifted it. She must have realised they were there, for she spun around, instinctively going into a defensive pose.  
  
"What do you want?" She asked in a cold voice.  
  
"Whoa there, we just came to see if you needed help." Hercules said holding up his hands.  
  
"And how do I know I can trust you?"  
  
"You don't. You just have to." Iolaus said.  
  
She smiled slightly and came out of her defense set-up.   
  
"What's your name?" She asked. There was no coldness in her voice now.  
  
"Hercules. This is my best friend Iolaus. And you would be?"  
  
The girl smiled as she replied:  
  
"Robyn. Everyone calls me Robyn."  
  
" THat your real name?" Iolaus asked  
  
"No."  
  
"You wanna tell me your real name?" Herc said with a smile  
  
"SOmeday."  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~**~*~  
  
On Mt. Olympus, Ares watched the sceane with interest. This was going to be good.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So Robyn, where you from?" Iolaus asked with interest.  
  
"A small village called Amphipolis."  
  
"Thats in Thrace isn't it?'Hercules asked "Thats a good couple days away. What brings you this far out?"  
  
Robyn was silent as she adjusted the pack on her back.  
  
"The men you saw me fighting, they robbed my mothers inn. It was all the money we had. I followed them and took it back."  
  
Iolaus whistled slightly. He was defiantely impressed.  
  
"Have you ever thought of joining Cheirons academy?" Iolaus asked  
  
"The cadet academy? I would love to! but i can't. I have brothers at home and my mother needs me. We are all she has left."  
  
"well if you ever change your mind, Herc and I could probably pull some strings for you..."  
  
"You go to the Cadet academy?" Robyn asked in surprise.  
  
The boys nodded and once again the conversation fell away to silence. They approached a fork in the road. One way lead to Amphipolis and the other to the Academy. Hercules couldn't explain it but he just couldn't bring himself to leave this pretty girl alone for a three days journey. Robyn fidgeted for a second before looking the boys in the eye  
  
"This is where we seperate. If you are ever in Amphipolis, look me up. Every one knows me!"  
  
"Well we aren't doing anything for a while so why don't we join you. Besides i couldn't just let you go alone...it goes against a cadets code!"  
  
Iolaus looked at HErcules in surprise. Cheiron expected them back shortly. But hey if herc was going to take a few more days vacation then he would gladly join him. Robyn smiled shyly.  
  
"Its out of your way. But if you decide thats what you want i won't stop you."  
  
"No trouble. It'll be our pleasure."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Evening  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
HErcules sat back and gazed into the fire. The three teenagers had stopped to make camp for the night and Robyn had already answered sleeps call. Iolaus too had joined her. HErcules sat up, thinking about the mysterious girl. Her hair was raven black with a slight red tint to it. He felt that her ice blue eyes could see into his soul. She was tall, almost as tall as him. She sighed in her sleep and turned over. He caught himself smiling. Oh gods, he thought. I'm falling for her. A slight tingling ran uphis back, he felt the smile fall from he face. He didn't even bother to turn around.  
  
"What do you want Ares?"  
  
"Nothing. Not a thing. Just checking on her. Making sure she's ok."  
  
Hercules stared at him in surprise before narrowing his eyes at Ares.  
  
"And what do you care?"  
  
"Lets just say shes special to me. Or will be."  
  
Blue light flashed and hercules knew Ares had vanished. He looked one more time at Robyn's sleeping face, before falling to sleep, wondering.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hercules awoke the next morning to the sounds of birds chirping. They looked around the cavern. Robyns sleeping roll was empty. THe boys jumped up and ran outside.  
  
"You take left, I'll take right!" Iolaus yelled.  
  
NIether had the time to take their respective directions. A shrill cry came through the air which set the two running straight down the right path and to a deep ravine.  
  
"Robyn?" Hercules yelled into the mass of trees.  
  
"Herc over here!" Iolaus called. He pointed to a indentation next to a raspberry bush. it formed an effective mudslide. At the bottom of the steep hill was Robyn, flat on her back with a large rock on her left ankle. THe boys climbed down the hill to the trapped girl.  
  
"hey guys. I was just coming to see you." She said weakly.  
  
"Funny" Iolaus said." Herc this is your specialty."   
  
Iolaus stepped back to let Hercules pass. Without missing a beat Hercules had the boulder up and off Robyn in a matter of seconds. The girl wriggled out of the hollow she was laying in and out of harms way. Iolaus helped her up onto a log, where HErcules looked at her foot.  
  
"Its not broken, just badly sprained. You were lucky." He said relief washing over him.  
  
Robyn grimaced as the boys helped her to her feet and up the slopes. The three teenagers returned back to the cave where the boys forcibly put Robyn to bed.   
  
"I'm FINE!!! I hurt myself, I'm not dead!!" she yelled more than once.  
  
"Then I am going to get dinner!" Iolaus said cheerfully. "Rabbit here i come!"  
  
HErcules and Robyn laughed softly as he left.  
  
"Soo...you the oldest in your family?" Hercules said trying to start some conversation.  
  
"Actually I'm the middle one. I have an older and a younger brother. how 'bout you?"  
  
"Only child. YOur mother runs an inn huh? That must be fun."  
  
Robyn didn't answer but looked down. "Yeah. fun."  
  
"Why the long face?"  
  
"All my life i have been Cyrene's daughter. Everyone expects me to grow up and be just like my mother. I am my own person. I know that i have a different destiny."  
  
"I know how that feels. I try to live up to my mothers expectations of me. And yet everyone expects me to be like my father."  
  
HErcules cursed himself silently, He never ment to mention his father. But Robyn didn't seent o notice.   
  
:Looks like we both are trying to prove ourselves." swas all she said.  
  
Iolaus came in at that moment carrying three rabbits and a crutch like stick.  
  
"Dinner and tomorrow a way for you to walk."  
  
Dinner was a comical time, each doing impressions and telling jokes. far into the night the teens talked, sharing stories and dreams. It was quite late when Robyn announced her sleepyiness and promptly turned over to sleep. Iolaus slipped next to HErcules and whispered sofly  
  
"Pretty girl huh?"  
  
"Pretty amazing, pretty intelligent, pretty strong and yes pretty attractive." Herc answered.  
  
"You fallin for her aren't you?"  
  
Hercules sat upright. He had only known this girl for two days and yet he felt like she knew his soul. There was nothing he couldn't tell her. She felt like, like, the other half of his soul.  
He simply nodded. Iolaus chuckled.  
  
"I figured" was his reply before turnong over and sleeping himself. Hercules smiled before going to sleep himself.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The morning dawned bright and cheerful once again. Hercules was roused from his sleep once again by the absolute quietness in the cave, everyone else had gone. He chuckled and gathered up his belongings. They would be leaving soon. HE walked outside the cave to find Robyn cleaning up the remains of their camp aided by Iolaus' crutch. HE lifted the pack from her back and added it to his own. She glared at him but it quickly melted into a smile.  
  
"Shall we?" Iolaus said as he motioned to the road.  
  
The day passed quickly and soon it was once again night. It definately didn't look like it would pass a a pleasent one either. Angry dark clouds were gathering, a sure sugn of a storm. The three travelers picked up the pace of their journey considerably.  
  
AN hour later the storm broke. The kids ran for the nearest shelter, luckily happening on an abandonded house. The lightning struck eerily close and the teenagers ran for dear life to the cabin. Soaking and wet, the trio enterd to the dry haven. THey soon had a fire going and a meal prepared.   
  
"Do either of you believe in destiney?" Robyn asked to the two boys, once they had dryed themselves.  
  
"I think Destiney is what you make it to be. Why?" Hercules asked.  
  
"Someone told me I was destined for great things. That I would be a great leader one day. I don't know if I believe in all that."  
  
"You have the abilities to become anything you want to be. Destiny won't change that." Herc said  
  
Robyn seemed to take this in and think on it. The next few moments where silent as the teenagers ate and began to settle in for the night. Iolaus rolled over and fell asleep, but Robyn sat up and looked at Hercules.  
  
"I didn't want to say anything about it before, but are you really Zeus' son?" she asked  
  
Hercules rolled his eyes and Answered "Yes."  
  
"I'm sorry." she said "I couldn't imagine all the things you must have to deal with."  
  
THat answer totally blew Hercules away. He had expected the normal groupie response, but this... this just boggled his mind.  
  
"Um, yeah." was all he could say. "Its real 'fun' being different"  
  
She chuckled.  
  
"Yeah I know how it is. I am the laughing stock of my village--the only girl with the insanity to learn to fight and the audacity to be better than most of the boys. Its GREAT bieng different."  
  
Without his knowing it, Hercules' hand had reached for hers. SHe raised her ice blue eyes to meet his and their gaze locked and held for many many moments after that.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Iolaus woke to the song of birds, sunshine and his best friends arms around Robyn. He shook his head to make sure he was seeing straight then chuckled softly as he began to pack up.  
  
"Took them long enough..." he whispered.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"It should be over this hill! You'll be able to see my mother's inn from the top.!"  
  
Robyn's enthusiasim made the boys smile, but it also made their hearts ache. In the three days they had traveled together, the boys had become very close and even attached to RObyn. They raced to the top of the hill and surveyed the prosperous village below. RObyn ran down the hill with the boys close on her heels.  
  
"Mother! Lyceus! Toris!" she called.  
  
A dark haired woman who was doing her best to corral an energetic blonde boy looked up, her face lighting into a smile at Robyn's voice.  
  
"RObyn! Thank the gods! we thought you were lost! what's wrong with your ankle?"  
  
RObyn moved slowly, her ankle was not totally healed and still bore traces of a limp. she motioned to HErc and Iolaus to come forward.  
  
"Mother this is Iolaus and Hercules. They helped me out on the trip home. Guys this is my mother, Cyrene."  
  
The three shook hands.  
  
"Robyn if you would be so kind as to gather up some wood and water, i'll have a good meal in these boys' stomach. I know your cooking isn't the best and your brother brought in at least four rabbits today from the snares."  
  
"Rabbit?" Iolaus looked in love at Cyrene as he offered his services in skinning the rabbits.  
  
"Wanna come with me?" RObyn asked hercules shyly.  
  
HE nodded and the two teenagers dissappeared into the woods. It was some minutes later that they reimerged with the wood in hand and on the way back to the inn.  
  
"I never asked you at the time," hercules began " but why the questions about destiny?"  
  
Robyn was silent for a bit before she replied.  
  
"I had a dream where a deer told me i would be the destroyer of nations, the creator of the new order. It told me that my destiny was to be the greatest woman in my time. I am to empower an emporer, conquer a conqueror, harness the centaurs, enslave the amazons, give birth to a monster and kill the greatest hero ever known. I will conquer the world."  
  
Her voice shook with every word and tears threatened to spill. Hercules put his arm around her and hugged her tightly.   
  
" I don't want to be evil." she whispered before burying her face in his chest.  
  
"I would never let you be evil. I promise you that. I'd die before i would let evil take over you completely."   
  
She looked up at him with such hope in her eyes, it made his heart ache. It felt so right when the two of them let their lips touch, they wanted to stay joined like that for ever. A twig breaking behind them, interuppted thier paradise.  
  
"Uh, Robyn?" a small voice said.  
  
"Lyceus." Robyn said kindly "I guess we took a little too long."  
  
Hercules chuckled and arm in arm the two and lyceus walked back to the inn. As the reached the top of the hill Hercules stiffened. SOmeone was watching them.  
  
"Robyn, Lyceus, go back to the inn. I'll be there in a few."  
  
Robyn eyed him strangely but took Lyceus' han and continued on her way.  
  
"Come out Ares."  
  
The flash of blue light and familiar crackle of lightning announced the War god's enterance.  
  
"I see you and my princess have been getting along well."  
  
"RObyn is not your princess Ares. She is a sweet innocent girl!"  
  
"Not for long. How innocent will she stay when her village is attacked? His name is cortese."  
  
Another blue flash and ARes was gone. A piercing waqr cry came from the direction of the village. Hercules ran as fast as his heels could carry him. A scene of destruction greeted him. The inn was being attacked by the villians who had robbed it not so long ago. This time however, they had a different prize in mind. One of the robbers had Robyn in a corner. Hercules jumped headfirst into the fight. beating two of the would be villians to the dirt in mere seconds. RObyn's war cry and Iolaus yells echoed in his ears. THey were winning. The leader of the gang grabbed a hold of Lyceus and held a dagger under his throat.  
  
"Move and he's dead! Put your weapons down!"  
  
SLowly in fear for Lyceues life, the teens obeyed. The anger in Robyn's eyes blazed. An old pie pan glittered in the sun. Before anyone could react, she had scooped up the pan and flung it int the direction of the leader, hitting him in the head. The man screamed in pain and released Lyceus. THe teens broke into fighting stances once again. The inn yard was full of clanking metal, landing punches and kicks, and shrill war cries. In the end it was a the teens who triumphed, sending the robbers slobbering and stuttering away as fast as they could.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Are you sure you really need to leave?" Robyn asked.  
  
"Yes. unfortuneatley. Cheiron is probably worried sick." Iolaus said  
  
"Wanna walk a bit with us?" Hercules said   
  
Robyn smiled and the three started on the journey home. It was a silent trip to the crossroads over the hill. Hercules and Robyn stopped a few paces from the fork while Iolaus smiled and continued on his journey.   
  
"I hope to see you again, you never know, you might just make it into the academy!" HErc said  
  
"ITs a nice thought but i don't know. I might just pop up one day and you will have forgotten all about me."  
  
"I could NEVER foget you RObyn. Never."  
  
Their lips met in a sweet kiss and a tear ran down both of their cheeks as they parted for the last time. RObyn began the trip back to Amphipolis as Hercules began his own journey. He turned and yelled at her  
  
"You never told me your real name!"  
  
She smiled, her ice blue eyes flashing and raven hair flowing, as ahe returned to her home town. HErcules swore later on that hear could her drums as she spoke.  
  
"Xena!" 


End file.
